The present invention relates to a cutting tool with polycrystalline and abrasive grit cutting surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fly cutter type generator wheel having a single polycrystalline diamond cutting segment and improved methods for cutting of materials.
Fly cutter type generator wheels have been provided in the past for rough cutting of ophthalmic lens curvatures. Such prior art generator wheels generally include two or more polycrystalline diamond cutting blades for providing a rough grade cut in an ophthalmic lens. It has been generally accepted in the art that the use of two or more fly cutter blades was necessary for balance and to provide proper performance in a fly cutter type generator wheel. However, due to the price of the polycrystalline segments which are generally used in these wheels, a reduction in polycrystalline segments will drastically reduce the cost of the generator tool. However, the problem in the past is that with reduction of polycrystalline diamond segments used the tool either became unbalanced or did not function properly when cutting a lens curvature.
In addition, the art has continually sought improved methods for cutting and grinding of materials. Therefore, any tool or method which would increase the efficiency of grinding is desirable.
As a particular example, with the increased use of composite or laminate type structural materials in airplanes and the like, it has been necessary to drill holes in materials having two or more layers of dissimilar hardness type materials which are laminated together. The drilling of holes in such composite materials has been a problem, when using conventional drill bits, in that the turnings from the harder materials produced during drilling of the laminate or composite tend to adversely wear the portions of the bore in the softer layers of the composite. Thus, close tolerance holes were sometimes not possible due to this deterioration in the walls forming the bore.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for cutting of composite materials useful in drilling of composite materials and additionally to provide an improved lower cost fly cutting generator wheel.